2004 Volkswagen Beetle

MY 2004 VW NEW BEETLE WITH 81,000 MILES ON IT NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION. HARSH SHIFTING BETWEEN 1ST AND 2ND GEARS; DID A TRANS FLUSH; NOW IT WON'T COME OUT OF 3RD GEAR. BEEN SITTING SINCE JANUARY IN MY DRIVEWAY. I WAS TOLD I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION WHICH IS $5,800 + TAX. MY DAUGHTER WAS NEARLY REAR-ENDED SEVERAL TIMES! VW HAS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THESE FAILED TRANSMISSIONS. PURCHASE 2-1/2 YEARS AGO - STILL OWE ANOTHER 2-1/2 YEARS OF PAYMENTS AND I THOUGHT THIS CAR WOULD GET MY DAUGHTER THROUGH COLLEGE AND BEYOND - BOY WAS I WRONG. THEY CERTAINLY DON'T MAKE VWS THE WAY THEY USE TO. I HAD A BUG WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE AND THE FLOORBOARDS RUSTED OUT BEFORE THE MECHANICS OF THE CAR! *TR

I HAVE A 2004 VW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE. THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW DOES NOT DROP DOWN IN ORDER TO CLEAR THE CANVAS TOP. I WAS TOLD THIS WAS A REGULATOR ISSUE. NOW MY BACK PASSENGER WINDOW IS FROZEN IN HALF DOWN POSITION. IT CAN NOT BE PULLED UP OR PUSHED DOWN. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE WINDOW ON THESE MODELS. I HAVE ALSO HAD THE GLASS IN THE CANVAS TOP TO BECOME DETACHED. MY INSURANCE WILL NOT COVER THIS AS DURING THEIR INVESTIGATION THEY FOUND THAT IT IS SO COMMON WITH THIS MODEL OF VEHICLE THAT THEY CAN DEEM IT "NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR." THIS IS NOT RIGHT! MY CAR IS GARAGE KEPT AND SHOULD NOT BE HAVING THESE PROBLEMS! I AM NOT ABLE TO REPLACE ANY PARTS AT THIS TIME BECAUSE OF INCOME. THE CONSUMER IS MADE TO PAY THE BILL FOR VW'S FAULTY MANUFACTORING. *TR

AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND STAY ON(CONCERNED ABOUT NOT WORKING PROPERLY IN EVENT OF ACCIDENT) TAKEN INTO DEALERSHIP FOR CODE READ: AIRBAG MODULE SHORTED. FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND CARPET NEED TO BE REMOVED FOR REPLACEMENT OF AIRBAG BECAUSE WIRE UNDER THE SEAT IS TOO SHORT THAT IT TORN WHEN THE SEAT WAS MOVED FORWARD TO ALLOW ACCESS TO REAR SEAT. THIS SHOULD BE A MANUFACTURED FAULT. *TR

VEHICLE IS A 2004 VW NEW BEETLE - PROBLEM IS AIRBAG LIGHTS ARE ON DUE TO A BROKEN WIRE IN THE WIRING THAT LEADS INTO THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT LATCH. I HAD THE CODE DIAGNOSED BY A MECHANIC AND I VISUALLY INSPECTED THE 4 WIRES UNDER THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE AND THE YELLOW WIRE IS BROKEN. AN OBVIOUS MANUFACTURING FLAW AS THIS PART GETS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF MOVEMENT DUE TO THE SEATBACK MOVING FORWARD AND BACKWARD WHEN PUTTING THE SEAT UP TO GET INTO THE BACK SEAT. MY CAR ONLY HAS 14,000 MILES ON IT SO IT HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN VERY MUCH IN THE 7 YEARS WE HAVE HAD IT. I CONTACTED THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND THEIR RESPONSE WAS - WE SELL ALOT OF THOSE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT LATCH ASSEMBLIES DUE TO THE SAME PROBLEM. THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR FOR FREE AS THERE IS NO RECALL AND NO BULLETIN ON THE ISSUE. READ NUMEROUS SITES AND ENTRIES ALL OVER THE WEB AND IT APPEARS MANY OWNERS OF THESE CARS (MANY DIFFERENT MODEL YEARS) ARE ALL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. CALLED VW AMERICA TO SEE IF THEY WOULD AT LEAST PROVIDE ME WITH A FREE PART AS I WOULD DO THE REPLACEMENT MYSELF. THEY CHECKED AND DENIED MY REQUEST. AS THE AIRBAGS WILL NOT WORK WHEN THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON, THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. A RECALL SHOULD BE PLACED ON THE SEATBELT LATCHES AS THE WIRING USED AND THE DESIGN ARE NOT AT ALL INDUSTRIAL ENOUGH TO HOLD UP OVER TIME. *TR

[XXX] I RECEIVED A WARRANTY EXTENSION LETTER FROM VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA IN NOVEMBER 2010 EXTENDING THE WARRANTY ON MY 2004 VW BEETLE FOR HARD SHIFTING CAUSED BY THE VALVE BODY. MY BEETLE EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEMS DESCRIBED IN THE LETTER. I SUBMITTED THE FORM FOR REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIRS MADE TO THE VALVE BODY. MY CLAIM FOR REIMBURSEMENT WAS REFUSED BY MARTIN A. CUSTOMER CARE ADVOCATE. HE STATED THAT THE REPAIR WOULD NOT BE COVERED BECAUSE THE EXTENSION COVER REPAIRS TO THE VALVE BODY ONLY. I AM SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE VALVE BODY ONLY. WHEN THE REPAIR SHOP INSPECTED MY BEETLE FOR THE HARD SHIFTING ISSUE, THEY ALSO INSPECTED THE TRANSMISSION AND FOUND EXCESSIVE METAL DEBRIS IN THE 'PAN'. THE REPAIR SHOP TOLD ME THAT THEY RECOMMENDED REPAIRING THE TRANSMISSION AT THE SAME TIME AS REPLACING THE VALVE BODY. I COULD HAVE ELECTED NOT TO HAVE REPAIRED THE TRANSMISSION AT THAT TIME. I AM BEING TOLD THAT MY CLAIM IS BEING REFUSED BECAUSE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE VALVE BODY WAS RELATED TO THE REPAIR OF THE TRANSMISSION WHICH IT CLEARLY WAS NOT. VW OFFERED THIS EXTENDED WARRANTY AND I FEEL AS THOUGH THEY ARE TRYING TO FIND ANY EXCUSE TO NOT FULFILL THIS OFFER. I CONTACTED VW CUSTOMER CARE ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON FEBRUARY 25TH TO EXPLAIN THAT THE VALVE BODY REPLACEMENT WAS NOT RELATED TO THE REBUILD OF THE TRANSMISSION AND WAS VERY FRUSTRATED WHEN THE ADVOCATE REPEATEDLY INTERRUPTED ME AS I ATTEMPTED TO EXPLAIN THIS TO HER. MY DAUGHTER AND I HAVE PURCHASED MULTIPLE VEHICLES FROM VW OVER THE YEARS AND ARE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY VW IS DENYING THIS VALID CLAIM, WE WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO BE LOYAL VW OWNERS AND ARE HOPEFUL THAT VW WILL DO THE RIGHT THING FOR US. PLEASE REVIEW THE DOCUMENTS THAT I HAVE INCLUDED AND I'M SURE YOU WILL BE IN AGREEMENT THAT THIS CLAIM SHOULD BE APPROVED. PLEASE CONTACT THE RESPONSIBLE PARTIES. PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).*TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AFTER ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE FUSE BOX AND THE WIRING HARNESS TO THE ALTERNATOR BURNED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 84,000.

I DO NOT KNOW WHO TO TURN TO NOW. I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH MY 2004 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE. I PURCHASED THE CAR MARCH, 2010 AND A FEW WEEKS AGO IT STARTED ACTING UP. THE GEARS HAVE BEEN SHIFTING VERY VIOLENTLY, SO MUCH SO THAT IT FEELS LIKE SOMEONE REAR ENDED ME EVERY TIME. MIND YOU, THIS ONLY HAPPENS AFTER I HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR FOR MORE THAN 15 MILES, SO I FIGURE THAT IT'S ONCE THE CAR HAS COMPLETELY COOLED. I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM VOLKSWAGEN IN NOVEMBER, 2010 FOR AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOTICED THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THIS. I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET THIS FIXED AND NOW THEY TELL ME THAT I WAS ONLY COVERED UNTIL SEPTEMBER, 2010. THE LETTER SAYS IT WILL COVER TO 7 YEARS OR 100,000 MILES, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST FROM THE VEHICLE'S ORIGINAL IN-SERVICE DATE. THIS MAKES NO SENSE TO ME BECAUSE TECHNICALLY I'M STILL ON THE 7TH YEAR AND I'M CURRENTLY AT 54K MILES. I HAVE BEEN DOING A LOT OF RESEARCH ON THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE FOUND THAT THERE A LOT OF BEETLE OWNERS EXPERIENCING THE SAME MISFORTUNE AND VOLKSWAGEN IS DOING NOTHING OF THE MATTER BECAUSE THEY KNOW IT WILL COST THEM MILLIONS. THIS IS VERY UPSETTING, SEEING THAT I'VE ONLY HAD THE CAR LESS THAN A YEAR AND IT'S HAD 2 PREVIOUS OWNERS. I TRIED CALLING VOA AND THE "MANAGER" TELLS ME THAT THEY'RE LOOKING INTO THE MATTER BECAUSE THEY HAVE GOTTEN A HIGH VOLUME CALL THIS WHOLE WEEK REGARDING THIS. I CALL 2 DAYS LATER AND THEY TELL ME THAT I AM OUT OF LUCK. IT REALLY DOES SEEM THAT THIS IS A DESIGNER FLAW, AND VW IS FAILING TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE. *TR

WELL IT HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT TROUBLE. FIRST THING, THE TRANSMISSION WENT BAD AND THEN RIGHT AFTER THAT THERE WAS NO BRAKE LIGHTS. THE TOP WILL NOT COME DOWN BY IT SELF. THE DASH LIGHTS COME ON ( AIR BAG, BRAKES, CHECK ENGINE, EMISSIONS). SOUNDS LIKE THERE ARE HOLES IN THE MUFFLER. LAST BUT NOT LEAST THE RIGHT REAR WINDOW FELL DOWN AND THEY WON'T 800 TO FIX, THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS AND NOTHING IS BEING DONE. *TR